The use of a mouse in computer use is, of course, prevalent in present day life. Virtually every computer user uses a mouse, the great majority of them being movable by the hand on a flat surface to direct a cursor to a desired location on the computer screen. The use of a mouse, however, together with the keyboard of the computer cause unusual stress and loading on the body of the user, much of which has given rise to "ergonomics"; that is, the correct operating position for a user when using a computer keyboard and mouse for long periods of time in order to alleviate and avoid the unnatural and unnecessary stress on the body of the computer user.
Various prior art apparatuses have been disclosed for assisting in the comfort and use of mouses. U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,680 (Baranowski) teaches a forearm rest with a mouse support which attaches to a desk and is rotatable relative to the desk. U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,062 (White et al) teaches a forearm and mouse support which also attaches to a desk and is adjustable relative to the desk. U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,759 (Christensen) teaches a forearm and mouse support which is attached to the center pedestal of a typical office chair. U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,499 (Goodall) teaches a forearm and keyboard support which is likewise attached to the frame of a typical office chair. U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,211 (Bird) teaches a mouse pad which attaches to the leg of a user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,128 (Odom et al) teaches a work surface used as a mouse support which is positioned on the lap of a user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,811 (Brewer) teaches a mouse support which attaches to the leg of a user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,822 (Hendershot et al) teaches a mouse support which is attached to a desk and which may also hold a keyboard. U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,313 (Crowe) teaches a support for a joystick which is attached to a desk. U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,001 (Bergsten et al) teaches a forearm support attachable to a desk and adjustable relative thereto. U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,773 (Bourassa) teaches a mouse pad support pedestal which is mounted to an arm of a chair and which is movable relative to the chair. All of these prior art devices suffer from various disadvantages.
It is comfortable for a user to sit in an armchair in a natural position and have a mouse available to him without excessive movement of the body. Generally, a user may have a keyboard readily available for operation by both hands. When the mouse is required to be moved, however, it is necessary to make an additional and inefficient movement with one's arm to move the forearm from the keyboard to the mouse, grasp the mouse, move the mouse as required and return the hand to the keyboard. If one is simply searching the internet, for example, mouse operation may be the principal forearm movement. If one is sitting in an armchair, and the mouse is located on a desk, it is uncomfortable for extended use.